Superconductivity was first discovered by the Dutch physicist HeikeKamerlinghOnnes in 19 1 1. He found that when mercury cooled to an absolute temperature of 4.2K (about -269℃), the resistance of mercury completely disappeared. This discovery earned him the 19 13 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Superconducting materials are usually divided into two categories: conventional superconductors and superconductors. Traditional superconductors, such as mercury and aluminum, need very low temperatures to achieve superconductivity. Superconductors are materials that realize superconductivity at higher temperatures, usually copper-based superconductors composed of copper and oxygen.
Superconducting phenomenon is widely used, including maglev train, nuclear fusion research, high-energy physics experiment, medical equipment (such as nuclear magnetic resonance imaging machine) and so on. Superconducting technology has great potential in power transmission, computer chips, quantum computing and other fields. However, because superconducting materials usually need to work at extremely low temperatures, there are still many challenges in practical applications. Scientists and engineers are working hard to research and develop materials that can realize superconductivity at higher temperatures, so as to apply superconductivity technology more widely.